Burial-vault.



I. E. WOODARD.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED Arme, 1913.

1,110,520, Patnted Sept.15,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l N l #S i e i l f i l S @www l Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wuhnhunn HHHHMHM .Hnnuhu HHHHS IRA E woooHRD @Nome/x3 I. E. WOODARD.

BURIAL VAULT. APPLICATION FILED APB.. 5, 1913.

THE NORRIS PEYERS CD.. PHUYO-LIYHQ. WSHINQIUN. D C.

IRA E. WOODARD, 0F DUN'KIRK, INDIANA.

BURIALQVAULT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 5, 1913; Serial No.` 759,238.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, IRA E.,WooDARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dunkirk, in the countyl of Jay and AState o-f Indiana, have inventedk certain new andy useful Improvements in Burial-Vaults, of which the followingpis a specification, reference being had to t-he accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in burial vaults and my 0bject is to provide an improved vault which is air tight after the body has been placed therein and which is adapted to contain a partial vacuum.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a vault with improved means for extracting the air therefrom and a still l further object resides in providing a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very eflicient and useful in operation. l

l/Vith these and other object-sin view, the invention-consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred t0 and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings lforming a part of this application, Figure 1 visa longitudinal section through my improved burial vault. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof with the movable end wall removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the vault. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the removable end wall showing the valve in its open position and the attachment applied for removal of air from the vault. Fig. 5 is a plan view partly in section of a slightly modified form of the invention. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section therethrough. Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section through this form of the device, showing the securing means between the top or lid of the body; and Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view partly in section of the lid used in this form of the device.

In describing my invention, I shall refer to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which- 1 indicates a housing molded of plastic material such as terra cotta or from a single sheet of metal and having a solid end wall 2 molded therewith. This housing may be of 4any desired shape'and size, but is ,preferably of the shape shown in the drawing, to wit, having a fiat bottom, parallel'sides and a conveXed top. The open end of the housing 1 has the edge thereof offset to provide a shoulder, against which may rest a shoulder formed onan end wall 4 of the device and the inner faces of the bottom and walls of this housing, at the open end thereof, adjacent'the shoulder are grooved,

as shown at 5. This end wall 4 is also provided `with an upstanding face or projection 6 and cement or other similar plastic mate-v rial is adapted to be applied to the outer face of this end wall, between the projection and the inner faces of the walls of said housing '1, to secure the end wall in position therein. This cement, it is obvious, when applied, will find a hold or bearing surface in the groove referred to, thus positively securing the end wall in the desired position. This cement is preferably of the non-porous typeso that whenapplied, the vault will be air and water proof. .This end wall 4 is provided with a central opening 7 and the outer face of the wallsurrounding this opening .is somewhat vbeveled to provide a substantial valve seat 8, at such point. A valve 9 is adapted toA be seated in the aforesaid seat 8, the same being Patented'Sept. 15, 1914.

provided with a stem 10 which projects through the opening 7 into the housing or vault 1 and the inner end of this stem 10 is provided with a head 11. The stem 10 is also provided with longitudinal grooves 12, which lead to recesses or the like 13 formed in the head 11. -Vihen this valve is lifted from its seat, it will be seen that the grooves in the valve stem admit of air being ntroduced or extracted from the housing 1 but it might here be stated that the purpose of these grooves is to admit of the air being extracted from said housing. A sleeve-like member 14 is also provided, the same being cemented or otherwise secured to the outer face of the end wall 4 to surround said valve seat, and the outer end of this sleeve 14 is engaged with a 4flexible tubing 15, which leads to a suction pump or similar device (not shown). From this construction, it will be seen that after the end wall 4 has been properly applied to the housing 1, air may be extracted from the latter by suction through the tube 15. When all possible air has been removed from this housing l, t-he sleeve-like member 11 is disengaged from the outer face of the end Walle and'under face of the valve 9 is cemented in its seat 8 and a substantial vacuum vault is thus proupper edges of the lwalls of which are*4 grooved, as shown at 17, and partially hlled with cement or other securing 'material 'of like character. A lid 1'8 is provided there-v for, the under vface of the side walls "of which are provided with ribs or tongues '19 ^adapted to be received in the L'grooves 17, whenj' said lid is applied. rlhe tongues or ribs of the lid, whenreceived in the cement 'filled cement in the grooves 'and secure the lid in position. v As V"the'soil is placed upon the vault,

after the latter has been lowered into .the

ground, itis obvious that the lid Vwill ybe ad,-V i

f dition'ally retained in its locked position on the body. In this form 'of vault, I 'also provide my improved air extracting means, theV same being ident-ical to-that-shown in thel above referred toV formA and `applied to the top or lid 18.

From the foregoing description ofV the construction of my improved device, it will be lseen that I have provided an improved vault with means in Vconnection therewith /for extracting the-'air therefrom, thus pro-V viding a substantial vacuum vault. 'By'the provision of such a vault7 itV will be seen that the decomposition of bodies after burial, hwill be obviated and, if-desired, bodies may Co'piesof this patent :hay be obtained foi1 e v yj d what is `claimed'is:-

groove'szof the box-like body 1 will spread the be placed directly in the vault without the necessity of providing the usual *expensivev caskets. It will also be seen that I have provided a .device which is simple andY durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture elements best adapted to perform the func- 1 'and one which will be very eficient and luse-'v *d i tionsset forth, it obvious that various changes inform, proportion and in the mi-l nor detailsv of v construction ymay be resorted to withoutl departing fromv the spirit or :sac- 4ifici'ng any of the principles of theinven. tion.

I'IavingV lthus described Y A burial vault, comprising a housing pro# this, invention, 'd

seat therein, a valve mounted inV connection f with the seat 1n said/closure, a stem for said c .valve-loosely disposed through said 'closure 4 and having longitudinal grooves therein, i. and a head lon'theri'nner end of said stem Y having recesses therein to whichthfe'grooves in said stem lead, said valve being's'ealed' '65 in its 'seat after 'the vair has .been extracted. from the housing. Y r

AIn testimony whereof IV hereunto i," my signature the presence yof two witf nesses.

Witnesses: i: 1 e

C.'Y M. HreimrujV E. WINTERHATTER;

iai. E. woopani), l'

Vfive cents each, byfaddressng themcominissio'nerbf Patents,V Y

Washington, D.'C. d l 

